2020 Teacher of the Year

Congratulations to Steve Zamzo who was drawn for

2020 Detroit Lakes Teacher of the Year!

ALC/MState

Cara Myers

Cara is very effective and working with and securing donations from local businesses. Her efforts have given ALC students opportunities that otherwise would not have existed. She is also a very hard worker, plain and simple. If she is asked to do something, she will get it done.

High School

Tim Erickson

Tim is a very positive person, he keeps an open mind in regards to new ideas in education and with his students. He communicates well with teachers, his students feel valued and he's just an all around nice guy. Tim makes our building a better place!! Tim has great report with all his students, works hard to solve problem with our PLC, and is a great Teacher Leader! Tim is one of the most supportive colleagues I have worked with. He is always so helpful with strategies I can use in my classroom to help his students succeed. I see him be fair and consistent with his students. He has great ideas for student engagement. Have you seen his indoor gardens?!

Lincoln/Mahube

Jean Hoskins

Jean arrives at work every day with a positive attitude. She always has fun games for kids to play to promote learning and she works closely with her general education teams to meet the needs of her students.

Middle School

Steve Zamzo

I've had the honor of working with Steve for 5 years. We've seen a lot of ups and downs together. After last year, he noticed that things needed to change. He took the initiative to help set up 6th grade exploratory clubs and help organize our homeroom curriculum. He saw where things needed a change, and he made them. He works hard for our kids, and expects nothing in return. I love the energy and ideas that Steve brings to our school, and I'm glad to be a part of his team! Steve has stepped up to the plate here at the middle school and is making a great effort to spread the message behind the Top 20 movement in our building. He is focusing on kids and building relationships, all the while using himself as an example of a person who can continually experience growth. He is dedicated, and he is focusing on the positives in the lives of our kids, pointing out reasons to celebrate and gently indicating areas of needed growth and change for the better. He has chosen to make a positive difference in the face of challenges when he could just as easily put his head down and stayed in his own lane. I admire his grit. To him, teaching is not simply about delivering curricular instruction, but it is -in his own words- the responsibility of "training little humans."

Rossman

Fletcher Nelson

In my opinion, the most important thing a teacher can do is form strong, positive relationships with kids. This is something that Fletcher does an incredible job of, and it is easily noticeable if you set foot in his classroom. The students that are lucky enough to be a part of his class LOVE coming to school because of the caring environment that he has created. Not only does he work hard to create an empowering atmosphere for his students, he also shares his ideas and strategies with his colleagues and the 56,600 followers that he has on Instagram so that they can try them out, too! He's a fantastic role model for kids and a big believer in sharing ideas to make us all better. He absolutely exemplifies the meaning of what it takes to be Teacher of the Year!

Roosevelt

Robb Flint

Robb is amazing at his job! He is creative, organized, a leader and a good sport. He is quick to go over and above in helping with PBIS and always has good input for our group. As a new SIT member he is reliable in relaying his observations of the students as needed. He is surely a positive contributor to our school.